Introduction
The Berlin Wall was a barrier that divided West Berlin and East Berlin from 1961 to 1989. Constructed by the German Democratic Republic, starting on 13 August 1961, the Wall completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin until government officials opened it in November 1989. Its demolition officially began on 13 June 1990 and was completed in 1992.
The barrier included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, which circumscribed a wide area (later known as the "death strip") that contained anti-vehicle trenches, "fakir beds" and other defences. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the Wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that had marked East Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.
Why was it built?
Until 1961 people were allowed to travel to West Berlin, traveling to West Germany was difficult after closing the border between East and West Germany in 1952. The wall was put up in 1961 because more than 2.6 million people escaped from East Germany and went to West Berlin or West Germany from 1949-1961. People moved because life in the West was so much better than the East because they had help from the USA who had been flying in goods for the West known as the Marshallplan.
While in the East a lot of people starved and had to suffer under a communist system. In 1952 the open border between east and west known as Zonengrenze was closed by the East Germans. After 1952 many people tried to cross the border but it became more difficult and more dangerous to escape to the west. East Germany lost too many skilled workers during this time and this was a massive problem at the time. The East German Government saw no other way to prevent from escaping to the West via Berlin than closing the border between the East and the West on August the 13th 1961.
In just 2 weeks, the East German army, police force and volunteers worked together to complete a makeshift barbed wire and concreate wall, that divided East and West Berlin.
On October 27th at Checkpoint Charlie (the best known Berlin Wall crossing point between the east and west) soviet tanks pulled up and refused any access into the East. For the day US and Soviet tanks, fully armed, faced each other until 18 hours later one by one the tanks pulled back and no one was hurt.
Sources
This is a photo of Checkpoint Charlie which one of a few checkpoints where people could get in and out.
This is a photo of the wall getting taken down by different people
This photo shows people looking over the fence and also trying to get through a checkpoint to the other side so they can have a better life.
This photo shows many people looking over the wall and also looking at the people on the other side.
This map shows how much of Germany was blocked off by the wall.
Question one:
“Cold War? Heck, it was a hot war!” (Robert McNamara, US Secretary of Defence 1961 – 1968)
To what extent do you agree with Robert McNamara’s statement that it was a ‘hot war’?
It was known as the Hot War because there was a lot of nuclear weapons that could have been used at were not used at the time. There was also a lot of people who died due to the wall and trying to get over it. Also not many nations agreed on what was going on which made it very hard and there was a lot of angry countries and no one could agree on it.
Question two:
Why is the Cold War worth remembering? (Hint: you may like to use the criteria for historical significance that are listed above)
The cold war is significant because it changed Germany forever and what if different things had happened and it got out of hand. The history cannot be changed but it can be taught what happened and the cold war is worth remembering because it has a lot of historical information about Germany and what happened after World War 2.
The Berlin Wall was a barrier that divided West Berlin and East Berlin from 1961 to 1989. Constructed by the German Democratic Republic, starting on 13 August 1961, the Wall completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin until government officials opened it in November 1989. Its demolition officially began on 13 June 1990 and was completed in 1992.
The barrier included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, which circumscribed a wide area (later known as the "death strip") that contained anti-vehicle trenches, "fakir beds" and other defences. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the Wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that had marked East Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period.
Why was it built?
Until 1961 people were allowed to travel to West Berlin, traveling to West Germany was difficult after closing the border between East and West Germany in 1952. The wall was put up in 1961 because more than 2.6 million people escaped from East Germany and went to West Berlin or West Germany from 1949-1961. People moved because life in the West was so much better than the East because they had help from the USA who had been flying in goods for the West known as the Marshallplan.
While in the East a lot of people starved and had to suffer under a communist system. In 1952 the open border between east and west known as Zonengrenze was closed by the East Germans. After 1952 many people tried to cross the border but it became more difficult and more dangerous to escape to the west. East Germany lost too many skilled workers during this time and this was a massive problem at the time. The East German Government saw no other way to prevent from escaping to the West via Berlin than closing the border between the East and the West on August the 13th 1961.
In just 2 weeks, the East German army, police force and volunteers worked together to complete a makeshift barbed wire and concreate wall, that divided East and West Berlin.
On October 27th at Checkpoint Charlie (the best known Berlin Wall crossing point between the east and west) soviet tanks pulled up and refused any access into the East. For the day US and Soviet tanks, fully armed, faced each other until 18 hours later one by one the tanks pulled back and no one was hurt.
Sources
This is a photo of Checkpoint Charlie which one of a few checkpoints where people could get in and out.
This is a photo of the wall getting taken down by different people
This photo shows people looking over the fence and also trying to get through a checkpoint to the other side so they can have a better life.
This photo shows many people looking over the wall and also looking at the people on the other side.
This map shows how much of Germany was blocked off by the wall.
Page title: Berlin Wall built - Aug 15, 1961 - HISTORY.com
Website name: HISTORY.com
URL:http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/berlin-wall-built
Page title: The Berlin Wall
Website name: Bbc.co.uk
URL:http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/places/berlin_wall
The Berlin Wall
In-text: (Epler, 1992)
Your Bibliography: Epler, D. (1992). The Berlin Wall. Brookfield, Conn.: Millbrook Press.
Page title: History of the Berlin Wall: Why the Wall was built up
Website name: Dailysoft.com
URL: http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/history/why-the-berlinwall-was-built.htm
Question one:
“Cold War? Heck, it was a hot war!” (Robert McNamara, US Secretary of Defence 1961 – 1968)
To what extent do you agree with Robert McNamara’s statement that it was a ‘hot war’?
It was known as the Hot War because there was a lot of nuclear weapons that could have been used at were not used at the time. There was also a lot of people who died due to the wall and trying to get over it. Also not many nations agreed on what was going on which made it very hard and there was a lot of angry countries and no one could agree on it.
Question two:
Why is the Cold War worth remembering? (Hint: you may like to use the criteria for historical significance that are listed above)
The cold war is significant because it changed Germany forever and what if different things had happened and it got out of hand. The history cannot be changed but it can be taught what happened and the cold war is worth remembering because it has a lot of historical information about Germany and what happened after World War 2.
Timeline:
https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/berlin-wall-554c1190-47c2-4e87-b574-7a03c74efefd